Lisa is the married mother of two beautiful girls. She holds a master’s degree and currently teaches third grade. She is extremely passionate about overcoming challenges while living with a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma. This systemic disease attacks her entire body inside and out. Still, she manages to continue doing the things she loves: cooking (poorly), building furniture, jogging (slowly), and making clothes. She will tell you everything she does is perfectly imperfect! One of her life goals is to help raise awareness for rare diseases and to continue her personal fight to survive and thrive until a cure is found.
One evening in January 2014, I answered a call from my doctor’s office. After going over my lab results, a nurse nonchalantly told me I had scleroderma. I pressed her for more information, but she explained that I’d have to wait…
Do you remember playing “house” when you were little? I have fond memories of each of my little friends choosing a family member to imitate, and together we would act out the different family roles. Some chose the parental roles so they…
It had been years since I’d stepped foot in a nail salon. Yet the moment the doors opened, I was immediately reminded how much I missed those days of being pampered. The beautiful crystals on chandeliers danced above me. The water features…
I couldn’t find our family’s teacup-size dog. She had only been out of our sight for a few minutes. I scanned the dark, fenced-in yard looking for this adorable, fluffy furball. My eyes finally fell upon her white body floating in the…
Having a rare disease often means dealing with uncommon symptoms. Sometimes I get lucky and one of my specialists can explain and treat them. However, the mysteries of my scleroderma-stricken body usually leave my medical team scratching their heads. Every time I…
With medications, doctors’ appointments, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there’s no way I could remember it all if I didn’t have reminders. Most days I’m lucky if I remember to grab my car keys the first time I walk…
My classroom door flung open, and the principal of the school where I work swiftly entered. Closely behind her was our school officer. Realizing there was some kind of emergency, I headed toward them to find out what my next steps were.
At the start of the year, I received a call from my local pharmacy. The lovely employee told me she was giving me a courtesy call because my prescriptions were very expensive. I figured she was referring to the fact that I…
Cradled in my husband’s arms is one of my favorite places to be. His 6-foot-2 frame engulfs me in a blanket of warmth and safety. When I’m in pain, his cuddles calm me like a weighted blanket. On rare occasions, I…
I stare at the two flights of stairs in front of me, wishing there was a magic elevator. With no other choice, I start climbing, slowly. Suddenly, my breathing is shallow. I inhale and exhale rapidly, my lungs desperate for air. Grasping…
I remember it like it was yesterday. The classroom was quiet. My stomach suddenly decided it was angry with me for skipping lunch. The grumbling gastrointestinal noises were like thunder to my easily embarrassed self-esteem. Acting nonchalant, I looked around to see…
The scleroderma fog has struck again! My entire brain is floating inside a haze, and nothing is clear. I’ve been sitting in front of my computer for hours, writing and rewriting this column. I now have four different columns started, but as…
